FreedomWorks Foundation Statement in Response to FDA Approving the Marketing of IQOS as Modified Risk Tobacco Product

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In response to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorizing Philip Morris to market its IQOS heating system as a modified risk tobacco product (MRTP), Dan Savickas, FreedomWorks Foundation’s Regulatory Policy Manager commented:

“We are elated to see the FDA choose the path of harm reduction and innovation, instead of one of rigidity and fear. FreedomWorks Foundation has been calling for such a decision for roughly a year and a half, touting the benefits of alternative strategies to smoking cessation, such as the one that IQOS provides.

“Addiction is a disease, not a choice. Like any other disease, it is involuntary. Unfortunately, our government for too long had treated it as the latter, presenting the false choice of ‘quit or die’ to millions of smokers across the country. Given these two options, many could not help but continue to smoke with no viable alternatives. This decision today represents a monumental shift that will provide a pathway out of smoking for millions and a far less harmful alternative. We look forward to the positive health outcomes that will come as a result.”

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